Top 5 Premier League Signings of the Summer

Karan Ahgun

— 5 min read
Top 5 Premier League Signings of the Summer

This summer has been a slow one in terms of transfers in and out at Premier League clubs. One reason for this could be the international tournaments played this summer, pushing back the timelines of deals. Another reason is that clubs are wary of their PSR statuses and are on alert from seeing the points deductions Everton and Nottingham Forest received last season for breaching the Premier League's rules. But there have been some interesting deals done by Premier League clubs and some which are likely to have a big positive impacts on specific teams. Let's take a look at the top 5 summer signings, according to me:

Amadou Onana (Everton → Aston Villa for £50m)

Aston Villa signed Amadou Onana as a replacement for the Douglas Luiz, who left for Juventus. Judging off his first couple of games for Villa, it looks to be very smart business which will surely help them as they juggle Champions League football this season. Onana was linked to big clubs such as Arsenal, Manchester United and Barcelona but it was Villa who made the biggest push for him. Upon signing, Onana said "We also have a manager that’s one of the best in the business and I think he can take my game to the next level”, showing the impact Unai Emery would have had in convincing the Belgian midfielder to join. At Everton, Onana gained a reputation for being a destroyer in a Sean Dyche team which often let the opposition come onto them rather than imposing themselves. But at Aston Villa, Onana's role will be very much changed. His defensive attributes will still be essential to the team but in a team that prioritises possession, we will most likely see just how good he is in possession. His physicality allows him to roll opposition players with ease and glide across the pitch, transitioning from defence to attack in a matter of seconds. His aerial ability will also be a huge help to Villa, who had the 5th lowest aerial duel percentage last season and will be a big help in attacking balls both offensively and defensively.

Yankuba Minteh (Newcastle United → Brighton & Hove Albion for £25m)

The signing of Yankuba Minteh might be one of those deals Brighton have historically done where they buy a player for relatively cheap and inevitably make 3 0r 4 times the money when selling them. In his first couple of games, Minteh has really shone on the right wing for the Seagulls, creating Mitoma's goal against Everton and being a constant threat against Manchester United. Last season, he was on loan at Feyenoord where he scored 10 goals in 27 games and gained a good reputation for his blistering speed and technical quality. He is at his most dangerous when he has space to run at defenders. At Feyenoord, he average 22.1 ball carries per 90, the most in the Eredivisie and it is in these scenarios where he produced goals and assists. At 19 years old, there is still much room for improvement in his decision-making, which can be a bit rash from the two Premier League games he has played so far. He is definitely a player who will strike fear in defenders and will likely get doubled up on later in the season.

Savinho (Troyes → Manchester City for £33.6m)

Savinho (or Savio) has so far been a revelation at Manchester City. Yes, the Riyad Mahrez comparisons are easy to make but on first showing, you can see why people make them. Apart from wearing the no. 26 shirt, Savinho possesses that silky way about the way he operates when attacking down Man City's right wing. He said himself he likes "to play joyful football", and to his credit, he has impressed Premier League fans with his skills and effectiveness so far. After City's game against Ipswich, a reporter asked Pep whether he was surprised at just how quickly Savinho has adjusted to playing in England, to which he answered along the lines of being cautious but praising the winger's impact in getting CIty's penalty and his contribution to De Bruyne's goal. So far, this looks like one of those signings City usually do that don't initially have that much hype around them but will prove to be really important for years to come.

Matthijs de Ligt (Bayern Munich → Manchester United for £42.7m)

Getting Matthijs de Ligt for just under £50m is stellar business by Manchester United. The former Golden Boy award winner will be desperate to hit the ground running at United and prove doubters wrong. To be honest, the doubters seem misinformed as the point they frequently make is that Eric Dier came into Bayern Munich last year and replaced de Ligt in the team. This couldn't be further away from the truth, with the pair of them playing together 14 times last season. Bayern Munich fans also regard de Ligt to have been their best centre-back and even signed a petition to prevent his sale, with over 70,000 signatures. Reuniting with Erik ten Hag and other former Ajax teammates will definitely help de Ligt settle in and provide an environment in which he can thrive. We so far haven't seen much of de Ligt this season, with him coming off the bench for 20-30 minutes in each of United's games but I am looking forward to watching him throughout this season. There was a training clip that United posted on their socials which highlighted de Ligt's communication and leadership skills, which was great for fans to see and is something to look forward to.

Dominic Solanke (AFC Bournemouth → Tottenham Hotspur for £65m)

Last season was undoubtedly Dominic Solanke's best season of his career, scoring 19 goals. This potency in front of goal has earned him a big money move to Tottenham Hotspur, making it the biggest deal in the Premier League this summer. Ange Postecoglou will be looking forward integrating the forward into his system. Solanke's willingness to press and score different types of goals will be a brilliant addition to the Tottenham attack, who seemed to run out of steam towards the end of last season. The striker market is not the best right now so paying such a high price for a striker who has had one standout season seems inevitable but I think that once Solanke gets in a flow, he'll start banging in the goals with the amount of chances Tottenham are able to create. His debut against Leicester City was mixed. He had a few chances to score but did look a bit nervous and as such, he kind of fluffed his lines with weak shots straight at the goalkeeper.

So that's my top 5 summer signings this season. There were some deals which narrowly missed out but I'm happy with this selection. I'm sure these signings will do well for their teams too!

Talk soon!

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